Faerykin (5 page)

“
And lose my leverage over you? I think not.”

I
scowled.

Valerian
waved his hands and the iron manacles that held my limbs clicked
open. I quickly wrenched out my arms and pulled my legs from the
contraptions. I rubbed my wrists. The pure iron made my skin break
out in a rash.

“
We will wed tomorrow at noon. Everything has been arranged. I
expect you’ll be pleasant…” My scowl deepened. “…during the
procession and our wedding night. If you don’t hold your end of the
bargain,” Valerian made a fluttery gesture, “your human lover will
suffer dire consequences.”

My blood
ran cold. Besides killing, I heard Valerian loved devising deathly
contraptions and torturing his victims in unspeakably horrid ways.
If Jigsaw Killer were real, those two would be BFF, Best Friends
Forever. I swallowed. “I want to see Jaime.”

“
Unthinkable. You’re my bride.”

“
How do I know you haven’t already killed him?”

Valerian
huffed impatiently. He waved his hand and produced something from
thin air. It was a small hand mirror. An enchanted one. When I took
it I saw Jaime in it. My heart plummeted. He was stripped naked,
chained from limb to limb on the ceiling. Valerian was keeping him
in the dungeon. I didn’t know whose. Maybe Valerian’s. Or ours. I
had never been into the Midnight Palace’s dungeon, where they kept
miscreants and law offenders. My eyes watered. Jamie looked
unconscious at the moment. He was going to be miserable when he
woke up. He didn’t deserve this cruel treatment.

“
Release him from that.” My voice choked. “Give him a decent
cell, clothes, food and water.”

A
triumphant smile blossomed on Valerian’s lips. “Not until you prove
that you will abide by my wishes. You can start by being a joyful
bride on our wedding tomorrow.”

I glared.
My chest constricted with fear, tears and hatred. “Why don’t you
just kill me? You’ve got everything. Nobody is going to oppose you
if you take over the Court of Midnight.”

“
Aine, Aine.” Valerian sighed theatrically. “You know nothing
about politics. You have been gone from our realm for too long. I
could take over Midnight Court by force. But why should I shed
unnecessary blood when there’s an easier way? War is costly and
untidy.”

I
narrowed my eyes. What had happened since I was gone?

“
Do you understand your situation, Princess Aine? Do you want
to see your kinfolk’s blood on your hands?”

I looked
away. “N-no.”

“
Then be a good girl and don’t cause me headaches. You hold the
fate of many. Think wisely.”

Valerian
vanished, leaving glittering faery magic floating in the space
where he had been.

I slumped
on the bed, clutching the mirror in my lap. Jaime. My Jaime. It was
my fault he had to suffer like this. I should have hit the road
after he offered me to stay in his house. Why did I have to lust
over him? And why did I have to disillusion myself that Jaime and I
could be together? Valerian would never let Jaime go. He had me
with Jaime.

I
couldn’t look at it anymore. I threw the mirror away. It sailed
across the room and broke into a hundred pieces.

Like my
heart.

* *
*

Valerian’s hunters came in and took me to my old room. All my
servants, personal guards and governess bowed in obeisance as I
entered. Many things had changed since I had left Midnight Palace.
I saw Valerian’s men everywhere. It seemed the Regent of Five, who
ruled on my behalf, no longer had power over the Court of Midnight.
Valerian’s plan to reign over the realm had come to fruition. All
he needed to do was wed and bed me to seal the deal.

I sat on
a chair and gestured to allow everybody to stand. Valerian’s
hunters exited and closed the door. I had a feeling they were
guarding the outside of my room, preventing me from roaming the
palace unattended. I was a prisoner in my own domain.

My
governess rose and poured me some wine. I declined. Not in the mood
for anything with alcohol in it.

“
Your Highness,” Sarene, my governess, began. “You’ve grown up
much. You’re even fairer than your mother.”

“
Thank you. How is she, by the way?”

“
Lady Brigid is in perfect health.”

“
Glad to hear that.” My mother was one from a dozen of my
father’s consorts. Her days were spent in the Palace of Dusk along
with others, reminiscing over the memory of my father. Former royal
consorts were not allowed to remarry. In the old days, when a fae
king passed, they were ordered to accompany him to his grave.
Ritual suicide no longer existed anymore, but my mother still
didn’t have a say or influence in the royal court. I knew she
didn’t approve of the betrothal between me and Prince Valerian, but
when the Regent of Five pressured her, she had no choice but to
give me up.

“
I didn’t see Lord MacCuill with you,” Sarene continued. “Has
he been treating you right?”

“
Graeme’s dead.”

A wave of
shock rolled over everyone’s face.

“
Was he lost in battle?” Sarene asked. “Lord Graeme was a
fierce warrior. It would take more than a skilled fighter to take
him down.”

I didn’t
have the heart to say Graeme had turned into an alcoholic while we
were on the run, which ultimately had claimed his life. “He had
fallen ill and died,” I lied to preserve his honor and
memory.

Dreaded
murmurs filled my room.

“
What has happened since I was gone?” I inquired.

Sarene
regarded me with a pained look. She told me everything in a low
voice.

After
Graeme had spirited me into the human realm, Valerian and his army
besieged our territory until the Regent of Five surrendered.
Valerian accused them of cheating. Unfortunately, the dukes and
duchesses sitting on the Regent of Five were nothing but a bunch of
wimps.

They had
never expected me to bail out on my wedding day. The plot was
hatched by Graeme and a few elders who held loyalty to my father. I
didn’t want to marry Valerian, so I went along when Graeme whisked
me away.

I was
told many of my father’s loyalists were unhappy with the Regent of
Five’s decisions. Especially when they were used as puppets by
Valerian. He knew about the resistance, hence he forced the
marriage. If he wedded and sired the only heir of the Court of
Midnight, Valerian’s rule over us would be unchallenged.

“
Your Highness,” one of my knights, Bres Silverlane, spoke up.
“If you are opposed to this atrocity, say the word and we will
fight to protect your wishes.”

That was
the problem. Our kingdom had been divided since my father’s death.
Dukes against dukes. Duchesses having catfights. Everyone wanted to
kill everyone. It should have been me who united them all, but I
was nothing but a spoiled girl. I didn’t want to see my people
suffer from the war.

I didn’t
want their blood on my hands.

My throat
was dry when I forced my next words. “Am I still your
liege?”

Everyone
answered in unison. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“
Is my wish your command?”

Bres
kneeled. “Your Highness, our loyalty is something you should have
no doubt of.”

I drew a
deep breath. “Then you will do this without question.”

Sarene
and Bres looked petrified when I told them my plan.

* *
*

Faery
weddings have always been extravagant. Even in lower caste, the
bride’s parents would have saved their gold from the day their
daughter was born, so their child could have a proper wedding.
Naturally, royal weddings were bound to be beyond lavish. Valerian
spared no expense on this one. I don’t know how he did it, but
overnight Midnight Palace had been transformed into a wedding
paradise that even the most finicky bridezilla would have nothing
to bitch about. White lilies and roses graced every available
surface. All the staff, including the guards, was swathed in
white-cream with striped gold livery. Finest confections and
delicacies were served in pristine gold-rimmed china. Rare vintage
wine was abundant and dispensed liberally. The guests looked happy,
chatty. The staff of Midnight Palace was quiet,
sorrowful.

I stood
in front of the mirror, scowling at my own reflection. I wore the
same wedding dress that had been made for me when I was sixteen.
Sarene had altered it to accommodate my growth over the years. I
now had fuller breasts and hips, and was slightly
taller.

My hair
was arranged artfully on top of my head. Heavy makeup was applied
on my face. I looked beautiful. Too bad I wasn’t marrying
Jaime.

My mood
darkened when Prince Valerian popped into my room uninvited. He
took one critical look at me and pointed out the fact that I wasn’t
being pleasant or joyous.

“
We aren’t in public,” I argued.

“
A deal is a deal. Do you not wish to honor me? Think about
that filthy human lover of yours rotting in a cell.”

I drew a
deep breath and forced out the most fake smile I’d managed in my
life. I must have looked like a corpse grinning from its coffin.
But Valerian seemed satisfied.

“
Much better,” he purred.

Fuck you
. “You know you’re twisted,
right?”

Valerian
lifted an eyebrow.

“
We’re cousins. Our kids will be retarded or genetically
deformed.”

He didn’t
understand what I said. Human diseases didn’t apply to faerykin.
And inbreeding practice was common in the faery realm, especially
in royal and noble families to keep their bloodline pure. Which
now, having been in the human realm and learning their customs, it
kinda turned icky for me.

Valerian
dismissed it with a snort. “Having thoughts about our children
already? Good. I don’t need to force you.”

I folded
my arms across my chest, pouting. “Since I’m going to be your
queen, I want you to banish all of your consorts.”

“
Oh?” Valerian looked interested. “Why is that?”

“
If you are fucking me, I want you to only be fucking me. I
don’t want you sharing your dick around.”

“
Why?”

“
It’s a human thing.”

Valerian
took this seriously. He must have thought I had finally come to my
senses and accepted my fate as I should. He gave a slight nod.
“Very well. I shall banish them.”

I
couldn’t believe he took my bait so easily.

Too
easy.

“
Anything else you desire?” Valerian mocked.

“
I don’t give blowjobs.”

Valerian
laughed. He snagged my arm and herded me to the door. “I want a
perfect queen, and a perfect queen you shall be.”

* *
*

I played
a perfect bride during the ceremony and reception. I was generous
with smiles, acting all doting and happy. I fooled Valerian’s
guests, but not my own people. Some of them looked shocked and
disgusted with my sudden change. Some flooded me with pity. They
just didn’t know what I had up my sleeve yet.

When it
was time to bed Valerian, strangely, I felt calm and composed. I
thought I would be panicky and the bastard would see through my
deception. I waited for him in my room. Sarene helped me undress
and slipped me into a sheer robe. My hair was unbraided and let
loose. My makeup was removed and replaced with light tint and sheer
gloss on my lips. My governess and the other maids retreated in
silence when Valerian came. The door was closed. Locked.

To my
surprise, he wasn’t as inebriated as I thought he would be. He had
kept himself sharp. Dangerous. My heart beat faster. Could I go
through with this?

I
could.

I
must.

Valerian
disrobed. With a flick of his finger, he ordered me to lose my
robe.

I
dutifully did what he asked. He tugged my chin up.

“
You
are
the
fairest maiden in Midnight Court, Aine.”

“
Thank you.” My voice was hoarse.

Valerian
sat next to me. He had a big erection, but it just churned my
stomach. He touched me. Felt me. At one point, I couldn’t help
shuddering from it.

Valerian
fisted my hair and yanked me in his direction. “You can at least
give me some excitement. Where’s the good girl you
promised?”

“
Well, maybe you should learn more about bed sport. Your
foreplay technique sucks donkey balls.”

Valerian
growled. He seized my arms and slammed me on my back. He came down
on top of me and kissed me ravenously. I obliged him. I kissed him
back. Tentatively at first, then I became as rough as he was.
Valerian looked pleased. He devoured me until he suddenly choked.
He scrambled up, trying to get his footing on the floor. His face
was a mix between grim realization and rage.

“
Where are you going, my lord?” I whined. “I’m just getting
hot. Kiss me some more…”